Tempered Will
by Aoa-tan
Summary: I was set on living out the rest of my life here, in this oddly dull world. Until the unexpected happened and I got swept up into a war that wasn't my own. The only reason I'm still here? Because she promised me a way back home. Abandoned/Adopted.
1. An End to Normality I

If you still remember me, I used to be Kid Klip, author of _Only Human_ and a few other forgettable stories. If you want the long run down of why I've ignored this account for 5 years — visit my profile. If you don't care, then kickback and enjoy the story! I'm not too smart on religion so I'm sorry if I make any mistakes lore-wise.

I don't own either show btw! I don't own any shows actually...

* * *

 _This blows_ , Naruto Uzumaki mused. A thin frown settled on his pale features.

The seventeen year old was sprawled out over a random bench in one of his favorite spots, his bright blue eyes half-lidded as they blankly stared at the skies above. Idly watching the clouds. Families passed, children laughed, and the ever expected flock of birds drank their fill of the massive fountain centered in the middle.

Today was a beautiful day indeed.

But, not for him.

 _I've got three days to pay the rent, and no money! Damn it! Why don't you ever help me out in these situations, Kurama?_ Naruto's frown morphed into a scowl, and he glared at seemingly nothing.

 _ **I've no need for money** **,** **brat,**_ was the response _ **, besides...your finances are your problem. You're the one blowing rent money on stupid things. Deal with it yourself.**_ What sounded like a snort echoed within his mind.

 _You're cruel, Kurama,_ he bit back.

There was no response.

With a sigh, Naruto sat up right and rubbed a hand through his shaggy blond locks. His brow furrowed and he suddenly looked to be deep in thought.

 _I guess I've got no choice._ No use in trying to do things the straight way anymore.

With a silent nod to himself, Naruto pumped his fist and stood. A wide grin on his face.

"Alright! I hate to do it, but desperate times call for desperate measures! A man can't go hungry!"

Really though...he didn't _hate_ to do it. The act in itself was always a rush, like a storm was going on inside of him — it was exhilarating! Of course, it also brought up fond memories he'd tried hard to repress, and reminded him of how different he really was in comparison to the people of this world.

A bitter smile worked its way up to his lips.

...

"I should be on my way."

In spite of the odd stares being sent his way, Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets and began a steady walk home, until he was absolutely sure no one could see him. In which case, he quite literally blurred out of view, vanishing entirely. A small cluster of leaves falling in his wake.

* * *

"Hey boss, what's the special occasion?"

"Yeah? Are we playing cards tonight again? You cheated last time, so I don't think I really want too..."

"Did you finish all the instant noodles?"

Naruto deadpanned as he watched himself rummage through his own pantry.

"Can you stop that," he ordered the third clone before regarding the other two "and no, we're not playing cards. But for the record, I didn't cheat!" The clone scowled at him and mumbled something under its breath.

Naruto could only sigh, "Look. We're flat broke and need money. So we're gonna do the usual and split up into teams. Got it?"

A chorus of reluctant yes's greeted him.

"Oh come on! Couldn't you be a little more enthusiastic? If I don't eat, none of us eat." he groaned, "Like, when the hell did you guys get all this personality?!"

"Well..." the first clone spoke up "it was about four to five months ago. Around that time is when you started going crazy."

"I'm not crazy!"

 _ **You're arguing with yourself.**_

"Shut up, Kurama!"

His clones chuckled.

Naruto only slapped a hand over his face and grit his teeth.. "Just...just move out, damn it." he waved them off and fell back onto the dingy two person chair he'd managed to loot from a nearby trash dump.

With a short nod, all three held up a single hand and were instantly obscured in a colorless smoke. When it dissipated, three strangers stood in their place, each sporting a smirk of varying amusement. Gotta love transformation.

He blinked and they were gone, and the silence returned to his one bedroom apartment.

Naruto sat there for what felt like an eternity, his gaze following the slowly rotating fan above as his thoughts began to wander.

 _Hard to believe it's been a little over a year..._

If it weren't for the fact that he could still use his chakra, he would have chalked it up as one crazy dream. Hell, even Kurama could have passed off as just a voice in his head. He would have been crazy, but not as crazy as he felt now. His clones, the fact the he could stick to walls and probably blow up the whole of japan a dozen times over. _That_ was too real to just ignore. That made him _too_ different.

And the people of this world, they couldn't do any of that.

They were just people.

He could never exist alongside them as equals, or share in any of his joys and triumphs. He could never have a family or make any friends.

He was alone.

 _ **You're brooding again.**_ Kurama snorted **_You make me sick._**

There wasn't a single word of comfort in what the fox entity that lived in his gut said, but, it meant well. The fact that Kurama opted to speak up was enough in itslef.

Naruto let out a dry laugh, but the smile on his face was real.

"Yeah, I mean, I've still got you." he said aloud while patting his stomach.

A begrudging grunt was all he got.

With that, Naruto sprang up and stretched.

That was the end of that for now! He needed to focus on making his monthly quota first, then he could sulk all he wanted, with the peace of mind that he still had a home to do it in.

* * *

"~Oh, Naru-chan! You've been such a big help today! It's not much...but I know how much you need it."

Naruto smiled sheepishly in spite of the dirt and grime on his face and clothes, a small shovel in his gloved hand. "No no no! Thank you, granny! You've saved me again!"

The short, elderly woman giggled and handed him his payment. A warm smile on her wrinkled features all the while.

"Well, since my husband passed, I haven't had anyone to help me tend to my garden. And I _am_ old you see, so having a handsome young man like yourself to help is really saving _me_ the trouble." she winked at the last part.

Whether it be old or young, Naruto had no honest idea how to take compliments from others. Especially not from the opposite sex.

A light tinge made its way over his marked cheeks, "T-Thank you!" he bowed shortly after.

"My my, what a modest young man." she shushed him with barely open eyes. "Now go on. I'm a tired old woman you know, it's time for my nap — oh but! Don't forget to grab the plate I made for you! It's wrapped up in tin-foil on top of the counter. And please, switch the open sigh to closed on your way out."

Naruto nodded, thanked her again, and then waved goodbye as he made his way to the front of the trinkets shop. He removed his dirty gloves and his dirt stained apron along the way. Placing them in a nearby bin before changing into a simple white t-shirt and faded jeans.

He took a moment to count his income, and almost cried tears of pathetic joy.

 _62,000 yen! I love that granny!_ It was easy work and enjoyable work for him, and she payed extremely well for just digging a few holes and what not.

Of course, what was back-breaking labor — like carrying pounds of fertilizer and decorative rocks — was a joke to him.

On his way out, Naruto spotted the plate and took note of how his stomach grumbled at the sight of it. The familiar scent of eggs over rice assaulted his sensitive senses and almost made him drool.

 _Oh yeah, I love that granny._

A part of him always wondered why she was so nice to him, but then he caught a look at himself in the mirror and deduced that because of his practically homeless appearance. Most people probably _would_ pity him. Most people however, didn't even give that much of a damn.

This world was a busy one, people always seemed to forget to make time for what really mattered.

Their own health and happiness, and that of those around him.

 _Still, at least it's relatively peaceful here._

No great war threatening to end all existence or zombie-ninjas here.

It was peaceful, and a little boring — but boring was good...

In small doses.

Naruto reached for the open sign and flipped it so that any future customers would know the shop was closed. He nodded to himself and then made his exit, the sound of bells clinking in his ears.

And the first thing he saw...

...was blue.

"Hello, are you by chance closed now?"

Two girls, both around his age, both extremely beautiful. Naruto took one look at their cloaked forms however and deduced that these were obviously high-class gals that were into some weird things. In other words, totally out of his league.

 _Besides, it's not like you could ever be with anyone here.._

He sighed yet again.

The girls, one a brunette and the other with dark blue hair, exchanged a glance as he nodded.

"Yeah, sorry. Granny's tried and wants to nap. Try again in an hour or two." he said before excusing himself from their presence and skipping home. Eager to dig into his food and rack in the extra cash his clones made.

"How odd..." the brunette mused with crossed arms, a dull smirk on her lithe features.

"Yeah. I wonder," the blue haired one spared a glance at the shop, and then back to the retreating blonds back, "what was a regular human doing here? He didn't recognize us as apart of the Church."

Her shorter friend shrugged.

"Who knows, that old woman has strange tastes for a nun. Anyway, shall we?"

* * *

Naruto felt good that night.

He had good food for dinner and enough for the rent with a little on the side. And as he reclined onto his crummy couch, a satisfied smile on his face, Naruto felt that all things considered — he _was_ alive. Even with his suicidal move at the very end, some god or goddess out there didn't want him to die just yet, and he slipped through the cracks of time and space itself as a result.

Most teens his age living in japan probably couldn't live quite like this.

Out of school, alone.

Then again, most teens couldn't make clones and disguise them as grown men and women.

For the past year he'd worked countless jobs. Never staying in one place too long though, because sooner or later people would begin to ask his clone questions it wasn't prepared to answer. Not to mention they always had to be on high-alert. A single hiccup and _poof_!

Literally.

 _ **It is rather dull around here.**_ Kurama spoke up _**I miss that feeling you got whenever your blood started boiling. It was enough of a rush to affect even me.**_

 _Adrenaline?_

 ** _Yes, something along those lines... I'd never truly experienced the rush of battle, seeing as I could never lose, until I saw it through your vastly inferior eyes._**

An odd compliment, but a welcome one nonetheless. He would have added that his own father won over the unstoppable Kyubi, but _technically_ , he cheated.

 _Thanks, happy to help._

Kurama snorted and retreated to the confines of the seal once more.

It didn't talk much, but it cared, more than anyone else before had ever cared. Probably because through his eyes, Kurama had seen it all. And felt it.

Not a beast, not a creature, just a sentient mass of energy — of life. And yet, it still managed to understand what humans called 'compassion' better than humanity itself.

All things considered, the fox was a good companion, when not in a total blood rage.

As sad as it was to say, Kurama was a big reason why he didn't outright kill himself upon arrival.

His own life he could damn. The life of another? Never.

It was with that thought in mind that he allowed himself to drift to sleep. Ready to do it all again tomorrow.

That night...

...he dreamt of home.

* * *

The morning routine was always the same.

Wake up, do a short warm up, eat breakfast, and then send more clones out to work while he visited a few of his more local stops.

There were only three to be exact — granny's, the grocery store, and the park. His favorite thing to do was put on a show for the children at the park. A few tricks here and there, nothing too amazing, but the kids ate it up like candy. And it was fun for him too! And more importantly, a way for him to flex his muscles, so to speak.

Which was why he was here now.

Kicking back, his eyes shut as he took in the little bit of nature in this massive city.

When he creaked an eye open, Naruto idly watched as people came and went. Some students wearing the famous Kuoh Academy uniform, others adults on the way to their jobs.

 _Must be nice..._

Part of him wishes he could go to school, just to be around other people his age, but the other part knew he'd hate it. The Shinobi Academy was more than enough.

"Hey! There he is again! Look!"

"That same kid...doesn't he have somewhere to be?"

"Really...what's with that hair...?"

A few whispers reached his ears, but he didn't mind it. It was infinitely better than his youth after all.

Besides, they had a right to wonder. He was here every morning, without a suit or a uniform, like a teenage hobo.

"Does he even shower—"

"—I'm clean damn you!" he shouted, a scowl on his face as he pointed at a nearby group of whispering girls.

The girls 'eeped' and scattered like ants. To which Naruto let out another long breath. He'd been doing that a lot lately.

Sure enough, the crowd thinned at his yelling.

"Tch, what am I? A sideshow?"

 _ **Pretty much...**_

Naruto fought the urge to walk into the seal and show Kurama a thing or two about respect, but figured him suddenly blanking out wasn't the smartest idea. There were enough rumors surrounding the 'homeless hunk' as some of the younger girls had come to call him, already. Not that he minded of course, but he could definitely do without the homeless part.

 _I have an apartment! I don't sleep in the woods, damn it!_

Not that there was anything wrong with being homeless.

Once the morning clutter had vanished, Naruto finally found his peace in tranquility.

And it lasted approximately ten seconds.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?"

A single blue eye cracked open and beheld an odd sight.

It was a little girl.

A little girl dressed in all black with eyes like a dead fish.

 _She looks like a doll._

"Uhm, okay, sure." he voiced warily.

Three months of visiting this same park, and no one had ever offered to sit next to him. He was actually avoided by most of the general populace, which again, he understood why and was totally cool with him.

Besides, it's not that he _wanted_ to be left alone, it just made being alone all the more easier.

 _But damn this is weird. Is somebody trying to play a prank on me?_ If they were, then he'd make them pay by showering them with pranks the likes this world had never seen before!

The child — she couldn't have been older than twelve — sat down next to him, and then promptly stared ahead at seemingly nothing. A blank look on her face.

This lasted for a whole twenty seconds before Naruto awkwardly spoke up.

"So, uhh, lovely weather today, isn't it?"

"Yes."

The blond deadpanned, the corners of his lips twitching faintly.

 _That doesn't give me much room to work with, shorty._

"...Shouldn't you like, be in school right now?" he asked after deciding to skip the pleasantries, all the while averting his gaze from the exceptionally creepy kid.

Her head turned to look up at him and she all but **stared** into his soul with those sleepy eyes.

"Shouldn't you?" she retorted.

Naruto found that even though his mouth was set to speak, no words actually came out. He eyed the kid back, his own gaze never wavering — until a tiny laugh escaped him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." he grinned "You know what? You're alright! Feel free to enjoy the breeze, with me, Naruto Uzumaki!"

The kid just kept staring regardless of his introduction.

Did she not take the cue? A name would have been nice at the very least.

Calling her a creepy little girl would probably get him into some deep doodoo...

The child nodded her head after a second, smiled, and then jumped back onto her tiny legs and left without another word. Leaving a slightly baffled Naruto behind.

 _What...the hell?_

That was weird, to say the least.

"She had some really pointy ears..." he thought aloud to himself.

Shrugging, Naruto shut his eyes and returned to his peace.

Never once thinking anything of it.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed it! I'm planning on topping each chapter off at around 5-6k words, unless I don't, in which case it will be longer. This is sort of a pilot, to give a brief look at Naruto's life, one year after the war, in a world that he 'thinks' is void of anything mystical/supernatural. As you can see though, two major forces have already taken notice of him.

My plan for this is to have Naruto, who as of right now is alone, discover that the world he thought he was 'stuck in' is actually full of possibilities. A world where he could even find a way back home. With that in mind, he'll be reluctant to establish bonds. You can probably see where I'm going with all this...

Pairings? I'm focusing on Xenovia right now, but it might change, or it might be a harem. I mean...this is DxD. I'll try my best to make the relationships as believable as possible, but you gotta keep an open mind for me!

With all that being said, if you remember me, and how I used to write before — _shudders_ — let me know if you think I've improved any! I think I have! And also if you're wondering about _Only Human_ I MIGHT do a re-make, but with stories like _Forward Unto Dawn_ and _Through the Eyes of_ in the High school of the Dead sect. there isn't much of a point lol.


	2. An End to Normality II

"Oh! Naruto-kun, could you raise it up a little higher please?"

"Like this?"

"Perfect!"

Naruto grinned down at the smiling old woman, thumbing her up while simultaneously balancing himself on the very edge of the tipping ladder with one leg. An act that was impressive in itself considering just how high up he was.

"I'm coming down, granny!" he warned before promptly jumping off and landing in a quiet crouch. "You're all set! Just be careful when putting any plants up there, I don't want you to fall and break a bone."

The woman somehow ignored his feat and shook her head, her eyes crinkling up as she outright beamed his way. "You don't have to worry about me. Old I may be, but granny can take care of herself just fine! I used to be quite the lass back in my day you know!" she pointed to a small picture frame in the corner, where a much younger blond woman was smirking at the camera. "A real beauty too!" she cackled.

Naruto had to admit, she was pretty. He let out an appreciative whistle and winked.

"That you were, granny. You're still a looker though!"

The woman laughed happily and reached up to pinch one of Naruto's cheeks. Pulling on the skin and stretching the odd scars over them as he verbally protested. Her honey comb eyes lingered over those marks for a brief second before she let go.

"Oh aren't you the suave one." she cooed.

"Come on, I'm not a kid!" he frowned and rubbed his sore cheek, "Man, you've got one helluva a grip though."

"Hehehe, don't think I was just a pretty face either!"

"Wouldn't dream of it..." Naruto trailed off with a sour look.

The two walked side by side with Naruto towering over the little old lady like a giant as they made their way back inside the house.

"So, Naruto-kun, I can't help but notice..." she began, watching the blond dust off his shoulders of imaginary dust before taking a seat, a peculiar smile on her wrinkled face, "that there's this odd feeling coming from you. Something that was certainly not there the last time I saw you. I can't quite put my finger on it though... Hmm, very strange indeed. It almost feels like someone's marked you as a target!"

Naruto's eyes nearly bulged.

 _That's one hell of an intuition!_ Well, she wasn't wrong...there was the case of his newly acquired stalker. He grinned nonetheless. "What makes you think something weird like that, granny?"

In those nearly closed eyes, an odd twinkle spoke to him. Like she knew more than he did about his own situation.

"A woman of my age sees many things, my boy. Age is the only route to true clarity after all, and these old eyes of mine have seen much." Even as she spoke, the woman could see **it** looming over his shoulder.

An unseen evil. Wicked and black and churning about like a snake. Licking at his lobe and neck with barley contained glee. He could not see it, but she could.

"I've looked after you for some time now, Naruto-kun, you instantly caught my eye the very second I saw you after all. With your bright personality and willingness to help, you're rather hard to miss. In fact, I have grown very fond of you! So please, do be careful. This city has seen better times as of late. Why, just last night I was watching the news and..."

Naruto — to his credit — was doing his best to keep up his grin.

 _Here she goes again..._ he thought to himself as she went on and on about the dangers of the world.

This woman — who he met nearly a year ago, who's name he did not know but affectionately referred too as granny nonetheless — she was an odd one, to say the least. Not that he could judge of course. Their meeting was not a weird one. Not at all. He merely answered to her ad requesting an able hand for the more backbreaking labor she was too old to do now. From there, their relationship basically took off.

Naruto felt mildly comfortable around her and she helped keep him fed, among other things. Truthfully, this nameless granny and that park were about the only friends he had in this new world.

 _ **That woman is eccentric, I have to agree.**_ Kurama spoke up ** _, And she always seems to be one step ahead of the curb. Don't you think?_**

 _Yeah...but, we're the definition of odd and out-of-place ourselves.  
_

 ** _Not what I meant, but whatever._**

The fox went silent shortly after, leaving Naruto to gradually come back into the one-sided conversation he didn't even know he was having.

"—and that's why I can't help but worry. My husband and I never had kids, and you're like a son to me. I just don't want anything unfortunate to happen to you or that sunny smile of yours. It really helps brighten my day, I'll have you know!"

Naruto blushed at the praise. "Don't worry! I can take care of myself. I've had plenty of unfortunate things happen," if only she knew the half of it, " and I'm still kicking! Besides, I'm a regular guy just trying to make it in life! No one's gonna pay any attention to me!"

The granny smiled, and Naruto felt those normally carefully concealed emotions stir for the briefest second.

"Aye, my boy. An average person you may be, but you shine impossibly bright for someone so dull, Naruto-kun. In the end it's bound to get you noticed by someone..." she trailed off, her smile suddenly looking a little forced.

She stared hard at him for a long second and Naruto idly realized that this was the weirdest she had ever acted. The second he walked through the doors today, she instantly froze up upon seeing him. Like she had seen a monster or a ghost in his place. And then she just kept staring at him — and, for whatever reason, it felt as if she was staring at something _else_ entirely.

"Just..." she paused, as if searching for the words "just be safe. If anything happens you come to me and we'll work it out, okay?"

At his nod, her gaze hardened.

"Promise me, Naruto-kun."

Naruto found that this conversation was already crossing the line between awkward and downright peculiar, more so than normal. In fact this was probably the most serious he had ever seen this granny.

With a soft nod, he did just that. "I promise. If I get into any trouble I'll come straight to you."

The smile on her face was real again — almost relived — and the wrinkles and the age that was suddenly accented by her serious expression disappeared entirely. The kind, if not a bit senile old woman he was more used too was back again like she never left.

"Good. Very good, now that's all for today. I left another plate for you on the counter along with your pay. Remember to call me if you need anything!" she glared in an effort to enforce her point.

Naruto nodded his head and smiled. "I will. Thank you for everything, granny. I'll never be able to pay you back." he chuckled whilst rubbing the back of his head.

"Silly boy, I'm paying you for your work. You don't owe me anything. Now go on, I'm feeling sleepy again, and when I get sleepy...I get cranky! That is of course unless you would like to stay and help give me a sponge-bath?" she finished with a impish grin.

"Okay, sure, I'll help you if you need it!" was the blond's immediate response. A wide smile on his face.

The woman could only laugh out loud at his eagerness to clean an old ladies body. Most people would have immediately turned her down for obvious reasons, but Naruto was different, and even she managed to forget it sometimes. A boy who lived by himself, with a heart so big and a soul so innocent and pure it almost blinded her.

But, a soul so pure could be easily manipulated by those with vile intentions.

"I'm just messing with you child, I'm not that old yet! Now get going, it's getting dark out and the unsavory types always come out at night!"

Naruto bowed and said his thank you's before making his exit.

All the while, the old woman watched his retreating form with narrowed eyes. Her gaze never once leaving the dark creature coiled around his neck, its blood red eyes looking back at her own as if challenging her.

 _What power is that? It's unfamiliar, even to me._ _This is worrisome. Very much so. I suppose I can't keep quiet much longer..._

* * *

Naruto walked along the beaten path home, the same one he took every day. Mainly because he loved the view. His legs acting on autopilot as his thoughts wandered.

It had been a week. An entire week. Seven days to be exact, and not once — not even for a minute — had that weird feeling in his gut settled down. Ever since meeting that girl, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that something or someone was watching him every step of the way. Like a pair unseen, invisible of eyes following him around.

It was...unsettling, to say the least.

And now that granny had spoken up about it, the feeling persisted all the more.

 _I don't get it..._ he mused to himself, _I haven't felt like this since back home._

The hairs on the back of his neck would randomly stand at attention and he would find his hand unconsciously lingering over the spot where his kunai holster used to be.

 _I shouldn't feel this uneasy, I have no reason too. So why can't I shake it?_

 ** _This world is void of anything close to you and I, but, it is not void of chakra._** Kurama's deep voice echoed in his thoughts. _**P** ** _erh_ aps there are things here neither you or I are aware of yet? **_

Naruto shook his head.

 _I don't know, it seems too far fetched don't you think? I stretched my senses in Sage Mode as far as I could, hell, I blanketed the whole city_ _— and still nothing!_

He could sense all types of life, but nothing even remotely near them chakra-wise.

 ** _Do not be so quick to assume. There could be different powers at work._** Kurama piped in. _**I suggest keeping an open mind. After all, here** **we** **are.  
**_

Kurama went silent after putting in its two cents, leaving Naruto to think on its advice.

The makings of a frown flickered over his pale features at the thought of it, but like a dying flower, it never bloomed. Instead Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets and stared out into the slowly setting sky. At the sight of the sun and the admittedly captivating view, a smile worked its way in its stead. His mood already shifting.

From his spot over the hill, he could see it all.

A city with buildings taller than anything he was used too, with lights brighter and more colorful than anything he had ever seen before and filled with so many people he couldn't even _begin_ to count them all.

"Yeah...here we are..." he whispered to himself.

He didn't think he would ever get used to this. His home — _where he belonged_ — was smaller, **much** smaller by comparison. With the biggest building being the Hokage tower, and the rest small and modest. Bright and colorful. All painted red, orange, and blue — the colors of fire. They weren't all grey and made of steel and glass.

And the forest, it was both massive and beautiful. More than anything he missed the feeling of being one with nature. It helped to brighten his mood and felt almost like a natural high of sorts to him. Once he became a Sage, he could quite literally _feel_ what nature and all of its creatures felt. They weren't abused or hunted for fun back home, only out of necessity, and never for show.

The forest was sacred.

Here?

Nature was _destroyed_ — ravaged, even in its purest form.

It made him sick. _Actually sick_. So sick that Naruto was forced to cut off the entire link because of the influx of hatred and mistreatment that threatened to drive even him mad. He could barley sustain it for more than ten minutes at a time. Any longer and the negative emotions that were absorbed into his body alongside it began to run their course.

Going on a blood-rage was about the last thing he wanted to do.

That fact alone was but one of the many reasons why he loved that damn park so much. It was extremely well kept and flourished as a result. Only there could he properly relax and become in-tune with the life around him — _without_ the imminent threat to his mental health.

Really though, as sad as it was to say, Naruto truly felt for this world. It was as if these very blocks of concrete he stood over and the dirt beneath them were all _covered_ in blood, drenched in it. Innocent and guilty alike. Although unfortunately, it was most likely more of the former than the latter.

He let out a tired sigh and spared the bag of food resting against his leg a glance. _I suppose I should get home before this gets cold._

Naruto leaned over to pick it up before sparing the view a final appreciative once over. When he felt he had his fill, the blond nodded to himself, and _just_ as he was about to teleport back home — the feeling in his gut intensified.

Blue eyes quickly narrowed and he entered what he himself had dubbed as his 'Shinobi mode'. Naruto was no fool, contrary to popular belief, and he was absolutely sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. He had enough experience in these things to know the difference. No. Something or someone _really_ was watching him, had been watching. What was worse was that he couldn't see them, or feel them out, _but_ he could sense what they felt thanks to Kurama.

They couldn't hide their emotions. Namely...their malicious intent.

The question was, why?

Why him?

It was in that very moment that Naruto made a choice.

 _Although here isn't the best place.  
_

With a light shrug, the blond opted to just walking home instead. Whistling a light tune all the while as he cooked up a plan. A tiny smirk turned the corners of his lips up when he felt the subtle spark of annoyance resonate.

Ten minutes of walking and he was about half-way home. And just as the sky had finally darkened, Naruto abruptly stopped. The familiar setting of his favorite park surrounding him.

 _I can't feel whatever energy this is, but, I can do this..._

Naruto shut his eyes, and in seconds, a dark orange pigmentation surrounded them. When he next opened them, the blue was replaced by a dull yellow with bars for pupils that resembled a toads own eyes — the telltale signs of his entering Sage Mode. All at once, Naruto felt his senses sharpen tenfold. The influx of negativity was noticeably lessened too, thanks to the purity of the nature surrounding him, and with a smirk, Naruto couldn't help but add as an afterthought.

 _Damn it all, I love this place!_

Almost instantly he picked up on the mass of life a few yards away.

 _That's weird..._ he thought to himself, _it's coming from...above?_

Naruto inched his head up.

"Hey! It's not nice to stalk people ya know?! You should come down here an introduce yourself!" He hollered out.

Silence, and then it — _whatever it was_ — vanished. Gone.

It did not retreat. He would have felt it if it did, his range extended far and wide when in Sage Mode. No, it quite literally vanished into thin air as if it were never there in the first place.

Seconds later and Naruto's instincts were _screaming_ for him to dodge. The blond dived to the left, just barley missing being impaled by a golden staff that embedded itself in the very spot where he once stood.

"Holy crap! That was close!" he cried, watching as the staff hummed in the night.

Naruto was about to demand that whoever attacked him show themselves, when a cheerful laugh echoed in his ears. Idly, he noted that the one presence had now become two.

 _Although, these feel different from the first._

"Whoa! Nice dodge, blondie! I was actually trying to kill you right then!"

"Could you please refrain from using that word? I'm a blond as well, you brute."

From high up above, two figures stood over the very air itself as if it were solid ground. One with a bright grin and the other with a stoic expression. Both men who looked to be much older than him.

Naruto glared daggers at them both and crossed his arms, a scowl on his pale face."Oi! What's the big idea?! You stalk me, then you try and kill me?! Not cool!"

 _ **Well, would you look at that...**_

 _Shut it! I don't need any of that I told you so crap right now!  
_

The one who admitted to throwing the fancy stick spoke up again. "Sorry sorry," he apologized while waving his hands, but it was clear he didn't mean a word of it, "I didn't mean to give you a spook. I actually meant to carve you in half—but! It all worked out! You dodged anyway, which is good news for both sides!" the man grinned down at him.

"Bikou, that's enough. We're only here to test him, nothing else."

"Ah come on! That's no fun, Arthur!"

Naruto, who was rather annoyed at the distance in-between the two, decided to give his two stalkers a 'spook' of their own. With a grin, the blond made a 'come hither' motion with his hand. As if gesturing for them to come down.

They looked down at him rather oddly, both wondering what he hoped to achieve with that, until a sudden ominous pressure made itself known from behind them both.

What happened next was a blur.

"What are you—" before Bikou could finish his sentence, a sudden blow struck him _hard_ from behind. The man plummeting to the ground as a result with a noticeable weight strapped to his back.

Arthur managed a single blink before he too suffered the same fate.

When both of them crashed face-first, they landed at a grinning Naruto's feet.

"There! Now we're even! You make any sudden moves and my clones go boom! So...don't move!" he finished cheerfully.

"Man, that was too easy! For stalkers, you guys sure aren't too aware of your own surroundings. You should work on that." A second Naruto commented while absentmindedly sitting over a now unconscious Arthur, the clones weight keeping the man firmly set into the ground.

It seemed the feminine looking one had a bit of a weaker constitution in comparison to his more hulking friend.

"Agreed. Oh and by the way, that tiny little stick of yours would have probably broken if it touched me." The last Naruto clone added while picking at its ear, Bikou twitching underneath it.

Bikou seemed to be trying his best to say something, but because of his face currently being buried in rubble, it came out inaudible.

"Huh? What was that?" the original mocked.

The man lifted his head up and glared bloody murder at the leering blond, his dark eyes wide and bloodshot from the rage he felt. His mouth was set to speak, not doubt ready to rip Naruto a new one, when a sudden realization struck him.

It was faint, but it **was** there.

And it was enough to stop him in his tracks.

"You...you're using Senjutsu..." he mumbled breathless, eyes wide for a different reason now.

He could feel it! It was a minuscule flow — like water being filtered through a tiny straw — but Bikou could sense it nonetheless, his own training picking up on the subtle feeling of nature, of life itself, converging around Naruto's form like a warm blanket.

" _You_ —you're a Sage!"

Naruto blinked down at his awed expression.

"You...know about Senjutsu?" the blond crouched down and leaned in close. Now full of questions.

Without warning, the staff that was previously lodged into the earth a few feet away tore itself free from its grave and launched itself, flying at blinding speeds toward the crouched Naruto...

...who reached out and plucked it mid-air as if it were a mere toy, never once taking his eyes away from the dumbfounded Bikou. He then tightened his grip, and the golden weapon shattered into two before Bikou's very eyes. A weapon that was supposed to be, by all accounts and purposes, indestructible.

And yet, with a dull metallic clank, the two half's fell to the ground, and simultaneously, Naruto's grin widened.

"See, I told you it would break!"

Bikou could only gape for a few short seconds before a hand roughly grabbed the back of his head and slammed it down onto the pavement.

Effectively knocking him out.

* * *

As soon as he got home, Naruto did two things; he put up the milk and warmed up his dinner.

He was in the middle of dicing a few carrots while considering his options, when he was forced to stop. Taking immediate notice of an oddly familiar presence that was now sitting in his living room, right next to his two guests.

When Naruto turned his head to see who or what was so casually sitting on his couch, he was mildly surprised to see that very same little girl staring back at him with that same thin smile on her face. The two men sprawled out next to her darkly dressed form, entirely unaware.

An awkward silence rested between the two for what felt like an eternity, in which Naruto took the time to try and make sense of the situation. Too bad he couldn't come up with jack.

"Uhh...hey?" he greeted after a moment, offering a tiny wave.

"Hello," she returned with a tiny nod while sparing a glance at the bruised forms of what Naruto could only deduce as her underlings, "what's for dinner?"

"Miso soup." he responded evenly.

 _This one feels different from all the rest... This 'nothingness'...it's coming from her?_ He stared at the girl for another second or so, in which she held his gaze, before speaking up again. "...Are you going to tell me how you got in here or...?"

"I can come and go as I please. Wherever, whenever."

Naruto nodded his head slowly in response.

"Uhm, okay..."

He would have said more, but he was fairly caught off guard by the entire situation, and as a result, was finding it rather difficult to think of something else to say.

Thankfully, she spoke up for him.

"Naruto...Uzumaki..." she whispered out loud. "Tell me, Naruto... do you have any dreams? A goal?"

Naruto blinked at her, a confused look plastered on his features. What was she on about?

 _Kurama?_

 **I can't sense anything from this one. No hatred, no love, nothing. This is...a first. I'll admit.**

That didn't help make him feel better in the slightest.

Naruto could already tell that compared to the two who attacked him earlier, this girl was on a whole different level. A fight against her would amount to nothing but massive amounts of property damage and his apartment being utterly destroyed as a direct result of their conflict.

"Uhh...no...not really." he mumbled.

To be honest, ever since arriving here, Naruto never really gave it all that much of a thought. He _had_ dreams. He _had_ a goal.

Now...not so much.

And the only thing he did want...well, that was impossible...

...or was it?

The smile on her face threatened to tear it in half as she uttered her next words.

"Would you like one? Would you like to have a purpose?"

* * *

Hope you liked it! Thank you for all the positive feedback, drop a review and tell me what you think!

 **Edit:**

 _sighs_

I've already gotten a few messages/reviews on Naruto's Sage Mode in regards to the Senjutsu in the DxD world. Yes. They're different. Naruto openly admits that there's nothing similar to Kurama and himself energy wise in this chapter, but that there _is_ something that can be called 'chakra; along with other powers he can't quite feel yet. Chakra is universal in the same way that ki is. What Naruto knows as energy/life-force/whatever you wanna call it is 'chakra'.

Which is why the malice/hatred of the DxD world CAN affect him if he's in Sage Mode for TOO long, because it IS different and he isn't used to it yet. The Elemental Nations take care of nature, they respect it, where as modern day society does not. Yeesh, you guy's act like I had Naruto go all blood-rage-can't-go-Sage-Mode-at-all or something :(

Like I said at the very start, keep an open mind, and _wait_ for the next chapter to hopefully explain any questions you might have. That's all. Hopefully I didn't come off as too condescending.


	3. Adoption Notice

Sorry to say that I'm giving up on this. I should just stick to reading, I don't have the motivation to write and I most certainly don't want to keep anyone in the shadows. Fret not, because someone has volunteered to take over for me if you are interested. An author known as Reain will be adopting the story and doing with it as he wishes. Sorry to let everyone down but I'm pretty much done with writing in general. Consider this a permanent retirement.


End file.
